MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast

0634: Ed Fringe Round-Up 2019: Sweet Charity and Friends (and fiends)

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 2019 might be over but its memories live on.  Join Thos and Mike as they discuss four of the great shows you could ...

0633: From Judy to Bette: The Stars of Old Hollywood

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Thos as he catches up with Rebecca Perry and David Kingsmill to discuss the wonderful five star show, From Judy to Bette: the Stars of Old Hollyw...

0632: What To See At The Edinburgh Fringe 2019

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in full swing, Thos guides you through a selection of songs and interviews with the people behind some of the ...

0631: Ed Fringe – The Musical

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s largest arts festival is back as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe hits town again – and to get you in the mood (and to help you explore s...

0630: Good Queen Bess and Mess

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With the Edinburgh Festival Fringe just about to start, Thos sits down with the man behind one of this year’s shows, David William Hughes, whose wit...

0629: Access All Arias

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is theatre for everyone? And what can we do to bring down the barriers? Thos sits down with actor, singer, director and theatre creator, Stephen Lloyd...

0628: Nebular Tuesday

20 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dom talks about Nebular Tuesday with its composer Stephen Bull.  We hear about its journey from its concept album days to where it is now and how Ste...

0627: Go, Go, Go Joseph!

16 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and Antonia discuss Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that is now playing at the world famous London Palladium. 

0626: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (with Rosie Ashe and Jake Brunger)

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick, Antonia and Jonathan head to the opening of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged Thirteen and Three Quarters - at the Ambassador's Theatre in Lo...

0625: Tudor Nights

02 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With Six the Musical storming to success, it’s time to look at a musical about perhaps the greatest of all the Tudor queens, Elizabeth the First her...

0624: Mary Poppins, Maggie May and Annie's Rooster

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Nick talks to Robert Gordon about Mary Poppins Returns and Maggie May and then David Herzog chats with old friend Richard Meek who's curren...

0623: Only Fools, Horses and Amelie.

18 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Nick and Rachael as they discuss Only Fools and Horses - which is currently packing 'em in at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and then Nick and Jonat...

0622: Aladdin's Waitress

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Nick as he talks to Marisha Wallace about Waitress as we hear from new cast members Ashley Roberts and Lucie Jones before they make their way int...

0621: Bully for You

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As Mike Shapiro’s hugely entertaining new musical, The Bully Problem, premieres at the prestigious Hollywood Fringe in June, Thos chats with Mike ab...

0620: Hooray for Hollywood Theatre! (Part Two)

28 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Gordon Shapiro continues coverage of the Hollywood Fringe with a chat with Laura Wiley, a multi-faceted entertainer and producer of musical pa...

0619: Hooray for Hollywood Theatre!

21 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Gordon Shapiro begins a series of interviews exploring creative life at the Hollywood Fringe and chats with festival co-founder Ben Hill and ...

0618: The Story of Stephen Foster – Part Two

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for songs, stories and insights into the life, works and legacy of Stephen Foster, in the second part of our look into the life of this mi...

0617: The Story of Stephen Foster – Part One

07 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a special two part edition of MusicalTalk, join Jonathan, David, Nick and Thos as the look at the life, works and legacy of Stephen Foster, the fat...

0616: Finding Fiddler on the Roof

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick has never seen Fiddler on the Roof - so he and Dom went off to the Playhouse Theatre to see the Trevor Nunn directed production from the Menier C...

0615: Queens of Mist and Kings of Rock musicals (with Jon Robyns and Hugh Wooldridge)

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick talks to Jon Robyns and Hugh Wooldridge about the massive celebration of rock musicals coming up on May 12th to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith...

0614: Oliviers, Crazy Ex Girlfriends and Bullies

16 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Antonia sits with Nick to discuss the 2019 Olivier Awards along with mourning Crazy Ex Girlfriend's departure from the airwaves.  We also hear the ne...

0613: Waitress Review and The Bully Problem

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Nick and Andrew as they share their thoughts on Waitress - playing at the Adelphi Theatre and also hear the first entry in a developer diary from...

0612: The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – Legacy

02 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of a two part run, David Herzog chats to…well, practically everyone involved…about the wonderful new pieces of musical theatre writi...

0611: The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – Hat-Trick

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the first of a two part run, Thos and Michael Gordon Shapiro cast an impressed eye (or four) over the excellent annual presentations by the amazing...

0610: But... I'm A Cheerleader in Kinky Boots (Carrie Hope Fletcher and Demitri Lampra Interviews)

19 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of MusicalTalk - Nick talk to old presenter and composer Andy Abrams and Carrie Hope Fletcher about Andy's musical of BUT I'M ...

0609: Working the Festival Fringe

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Thos and Colm as they talk about what it takes actually to put on a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – a real insider’s view of the nuts...

0608: Come to Come From Away

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week we revisit Come From Away as Nick chats to the cast members - and those whom the cast members portrayed - at a press event for the musical h...

0607:  Countdown to New Shows in March

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a bumper episode discussing six very different shows, featuring five songs, with four guests, and three musicals about to open in two different...

0606: Come from Away to Arts Ed

19 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick chats to Chris Hocking - principal of The Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, West London about the school's history, heritage and vision.   F...

0605: Propping Up the Barnum

12 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 605: Propping Up the Barnum. What a year it’s been for PT Barnum!  With a blockbuster musical film about his life, The Greatest Showman, an...

0604: Everybody's Moaning about Les Mis

05 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and Rachael talk about the reaction that the news that Les Miserables is to change forever has caused amongst theatre fans and why they think it'...

0603: Mary Poppins Returns

29 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick, Antonia and Mike sit down to discuss their thoughts on the Mary Poppins sequel. 

0602: 2019 Preview

22 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and Antonia discuss the massive amount of shows coming to London and beyond in 2019.  2019 promises to be an exciting year - with new shows such...

0601: On the Road with David Herzog - Cinderella at Venue Cymru

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David Herzog returns to bring us belated holiday cheer from the cast of "Cinderella" at Venue Cymru in North Wales. Hold David's terrified American ha...

0600: The Six Presenters

08 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s very rarely we get so many presenters in one place - but in the summer of 2018 - we managed it! In this episode there two different conversatio...

599: Being Fanatical about Musicals.

01 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nick joins Rachael - to discuss a slew of musicals they saw toward the end of 2018 including Wicked, Matilda, Phantom of the Opera, Bat out Of Hell, H...

0598: Merry Quizmas and a Happy New Earful 2019

25 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Apparently, it’s Christmas time - so to mark the event, here’s the now obligatory and much despised MusicalTalk festive quiz – a merry mix of qu...

0597: 2018 in Review - A Big Leap Forward

18 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

2018 saw lots of musicals open in London that explored very modern themes - so, in no order, join Antonia and Nick as they discuss Chess, Hamilton, Br...

0596: Our Love Never Dies for Phantom of the Opera

11 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nick recently shocked Tonia with news that he would be re-visiting Phantom of the Opera for the first time in over 15 years.  Listen to hear his thou...

0595: Tales and Tails

04 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The lovely David Herzog leads you a conversational journey through this summer's  Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a series of chats, interviews and so...

0594: The Voice Behind the Stars

27 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos sits down with the incredibly talented Eliza Jackson to discuss her one woman show, The Voice Behind the Stars, about the life and career of th...

0593: Edinburgh Fringe Rundown

20 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Missing this year's EdinburghFestival Fringe?  Of course you are, even if you didn't get a chance to visit!  But worry not, for Thos and Mike recor...

0592: But Was It A Lovely War?

13 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the centenary of the Armistice is marked, Thos looks back at Oh What A Lovely War, the best-known First World War musical that didn’t come out of...

0591: The Home Fires Keep Burning

06 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With the centenary of the end of the First World War looming, Thos sits down with Professor Michael Williams of the University of Southampton to revis...

0590: The Rise of the House of Edgar

30 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe 2018:  MusicalTalk continues its odyssey into the best of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 2018 with this funny a...

0589: Good Company in the House of Edgar

23 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode - Nick shares his thoughts on Company now playing at the Gielgud Theatre and Michael Gordon Shapiro talks to Thomas F Arnold an...

0588: A Gallant Life

16 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 588: A Gallant Life is a historically-inspired musical about the career of Muriel Thompson, a racecar champion from the early days of automobi...

0587: The King and I Revisit The Rink and The Little Shop of Horrors:

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nick, Robert and Olaf sit down to re-visit The Rink and Little Shop of Horrors - two musicals that create a different area whilst written in the 1980s...

0586: Mike and Antonia Talking about Jamie

02 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode - Mike Shapiro (on his recent trip to the UK) joined Antonia to see Everybody's Talking About Jamie - playing at the Apollo The...

0585: Hamilton - Young, Scrappy and... Flawed?

25 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is Hamilton the second-coming of musical theatre as so many people claim it to be or is it a bit flawed beneath the surface?  Whatever your views on ...

0584: Original Cast Album! Paul Garred and Henry Carpenter on the Record

18 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To mark the launch of the amazing Quentin Dentin Show original cast album, Thos talks to the people behind the recording - writer, Henry Carpenter, an...

0583: Original Cast Album! Quentin Dentin on the Record

11 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos joins Luke Lane, the star of the brand new Quentin Dentin Show original cast album on making a musical theatre recording.  Learn how it differs ...

0582: Original Cast Album! Luke Lane on the Record

04 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cast albums are such a big part of most musical theatre fans’ lives, so what better way to celebrate the launch of the Quentin Dentin Show original ...

0581: Little Shop of Horrors at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

28 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As avid fans of Little Shop of Horrors, it was a pleasure to be able to interview the three mysterious chorus girls (played beautifully by Reneé Lamb...

580: What’s On at the Fringe – Musical Heritages and Legacies

21 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

David Herzog gives us the step-by-step and blow-by-blow account of bringing his new show, Chwedl – Fairytales from Wales, to the Edinburgh Festival ...

579: What’s On at the Fringe – Challenging the Norm and the Form

14 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos sits down with Rebecca Humphries to discuss her award winning five-star musical show, Prom Kween, “a riotous musical theatre piece” which is ...

578: What’s On at the Fringe – A Musical World in Progress

07 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 gets underway, MusicalTalk starts its traditional and extensive coverage of just some of the musicals you can se...

577: Mamma Mia 2 - Here We Go Again!

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tonia shares her thoughts on the Mamma Mia sequel with Nick. Visit our website at www.musicaltalk.co.uk Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/musica...

576: Songs, Silence and Science

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It’s songs galore today as MusicalTalk looks at three very different shows in this bumper episode. Thos chats to the remarkably talented John Hinton...

575: Guy - A New Musical

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos sits down with Leoe Mercer and Stephen Hyde, fresh from their success with the Marriage of Kim K, to talk about their latest work, Guy – A New ...

574: Paradise Rocks

19 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Would you Adam and Eve it? Could it be possible for one of the greatest poems in the English Language, John Milton’s Paradise Lost – the story of ...

573: All Trains Lead to Coney Island

05 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Join Nick and Dom for a whirlwind discussion involving lots of random shows and topics - including On The 20th Century, Girl Crazy, The Woman in White...

572: The Big Show Problem: ENO vs The West End

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is the ENO and the Coliseum being used to its full potential? Chess is currently playing at the ENO so Nick shares his thoughts on seeing the show for...

571: Biograph Girl

22 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos meets Jenny Eastop, the director of the first professional revival of Warner Brown and David Heneker’s well received 1980 classic British music...

570: Our Love Never Dies for Jamie, Caroline and The Girl from the North Country

15 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nick chats to Robert about musicals we’ve never mentioned on MusicalTalk - Everybody’s Talking about Jamie and The Girl from the North Country (as...

569: Marry Me on a Little Strictly Field Trip to a Ballroom

08 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dom treats you to this week’s episode - as he talks to Alisdair Kitchen about this production of Sondhiem’s Marry Me A Little (open at the Drayton...

568: Follies in Focus

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the Royal National Theatre announces that its star-studded and star-attracting production of Sondheim’s Follies will be returning to London in 20...

567: Chomping at the Savoy

24 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this bumper episode, Dom and Thos have a wide ranging conversation about Gilbert and Sullivan (with a dose of Offenbach thrown in) and find many co...

566: Forgive Us, Oh Father!

17 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It’s confession time as Thos chats to Harry Style and Arnoud Breitbart, the two people behind the fresh and impressive new British musical, Forgiv...

565: Thrilled by Thrill Me!

10 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos sits down with Harry Downes and Ellis Dackombe, the impressive stars of the national tour of award-winning musical, Thrill Me: The Leopold and Lo...

564: A Brief Encounter with Alex Lacamoire

04 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and Dom discuss Brief Encounter now playing at the Empire Cinema in the West End, and Nick chats to Hamilton’s orchestrator, arranger, music su...

563: Buried Treasures

27 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Prior to its much anticipated arrival in London, Thos sits down for a wonderful chat with the talented writers of hit Edinburgh Fringe show, Buried - ...

562: Merrily We Ramble Along: Jeremy Sams on the post Lloyd-Webber musical

22 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Billington recently said of Andrew Lloyd Webber: “For all his attempts to encourage new talent, he also looks like a swimming instructor in ...

561: You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught: Musical Musings with YouTube’s Kevin Lynch

15 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Join Nick and YouTube musician Kevin Lynch as they discuss such varied topics as Spongebob Square Pants’ Broadway outing, Dear Even Hansen, Billy Jo...

560:The Hamilton Hype Balderdash (A Culled Collation of Conversation with Dick, Nick, Thos and Annie!)

06 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and Thos discuss last year's Dick Whittington (for the last time!) and then delve deep into the perhaps overhyped attitude of Hamilton, and then ...

559: Sondheim, Allegro and Forbidden Fruit

27 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos sits down with up-and-coming composer and lyricist, Colm Molloy, to discuss the intricacies of Sondheim, the eccentricities of Rogers and Hammers...

558: HG Wells' Time Machine

20 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Music!  Mystery!  Morlocks!  It’s 1959, the golden age of science fiction, and a mysterious man arrives at Radio Woking to present a thrilling mu...

557: I Have A Bad Feeling About This

13 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thos sits down with award winning cabaret duo, The House of Blakewell, alias Alice Keedwell and Harry Blake to discuss their latest cabaret musical, I...

556: It Shoulda Been You!

06 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

And for Thos, it was! It’s time to learn more about this wonderful American musical which deserves to be much better well known world-wide as Thos t...

555: Making Noise with Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie

26 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The writer-composer team — a.k.a. Noisemaker — discuss, with Michael Gordon Shapiro, their musical “Atlantic: A Scottish Story”, their collabo...

554: Hamilton: The Greatest Show, man

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode we discuss two musicals that use modern music to tell the story of historical figures. First Nick and David talk The Greatest S...

553: Everybody's Talking About 2017

09 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Robert tells Nick of his highlights for 2017 including Follies, The Grinning Man, Everybody's Talking about Jamie - with light touches on The Greatest...

552: Merry Quizmas and a Happy New Earful 2018

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time to see in the new year with the now obligatory MusicalTalk festive period quiz – a merry mix of quirky questions and superb songs, all h...

551: Shows for 2018... and how to see them for cheap!

26 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tonia and Nick delve into some of 2018's new shows in London and Broadway. Nick then shares his tips for ensuring you don't always have to pay stagger...

550: You are '17 Going on '18...

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Join Nick and Tonia as they discuss the big shows of 2017 including 42nd Street, Hamilton, An American in Paris, Follies, Pinocchio, On the Town, The ...

Episode 418: Miss-Alliance

17 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Thos talks to Eitan and Luis about their interest in musical theatre, and their thoughts on the recent crop of West End shows including Les Mis, the m...

549: A Musical Theatre Meander

13 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dom and Thos as they follow their muse for a marvellous musical theatre meander, encompassing everything from Florodora to South Pacific by way o...

548: Alexander Hamilton and Jon Peterson

05 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Meet me inside the room where it happens as you join Nick, Mike Shapiro and Tonia as they discuss Hamilton opening in London. That would be enough, bu...

547: A Night in the Ukraine with Evita

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tim and Thos sit down to discuss two very different shows from the late 1970s - the greatest of the Lloyd Webber and Rice collaborations, Evita, and a...

546: The Success of How to Succeed

24 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Following it rare recent professional production in London, Tim and Thos cast their eyes over the evergreen How To Succeed in Business Without Really ...

545: Piers Chater Robinson on writing Peter Pan - The British Musical

13 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time, Nick saw a musical of Peter Pan at the Cambridge Theatre starring Ron Moody. This musical was written by composer, lyricist and book...

544: Stop the Toxic Thrill Machine, Oh Father!

07 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for more Edinburgh Festival Fringe insights from Thos and Michael Gordon Shapiro, the noted composer, as they look into a number of very s...

543: It Shoulda Been Buried in the Scottish Woods

31 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time for another Fringe Round Up Time – so join Thos and noted composer, Michael Gordon Shapiro, for the next couple of weeks as they talk ab...

542: The Forgotten Kander and Ebb Shows from Z to A

18 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Dom and Robert are let off the lead by Nick and are allowed to talk to their heart's content about the more un-known shows of Kander and Ebb including...

541: Strictly Young Frankenstein's Girls

10 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Nick sits with Antonia to discuss what he thought of Young Frankenstein - now playing at the Garrick Theatre; Antonia shares her thoughts on Strictly ...

540: Fringe Cuts – From Brecht to Bricked! (with a bit of Brown)

26 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

More songs and conversations from this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe – so join Thos for the low down on the Murderous Philanthropist of Croydon...

539: Fringe Cuts – Musical Theatre Aristocracy

20 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Fringe Round Up Time – so join Thos for the next couple of weeks as he talks to the people behind some of shows at his years Edinburgh Festiv...

538: Follies at the National

12 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and Dom discuss Stephen Sondheim's Follies - currently playing at the National Theatre. This production stars Imelda Staunton, Philip Quast, Trac...

537: Honeymooning With Stephen Weiner

05 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Composer Stephen Weiner discusses his upcoming musical adaptation of The Honeymooners, and his journey through the exciting and chaotic landscape of m...

536: Stop the Musical – The MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe

29 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Join Thos as he talks to the writer, performers and producer of this year’s MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe, the wonderful new five star show, Stop t...